The structural analysis of polynucleotides and other biomolecules is playing an increasingly important role in modern molecular biology. With the advent of polynucleotide amplification technology, e.g., PCR, and projects directed towards sequencing the human genome, the level of interest in this area is high. In particular, the need to process large numbers of samples as quickly as possible has led to the need for analytical systems with increased resolution, throughput, and automation.
It would be desirable to have a device which permits efficient, large-scale analysis of many samples in as small an area as possible, in order to reduce cost and the amount of sample manipulation. At the same time, the device should provide reproducible, high sensitivity detection of analytes of interest. Preferably, the device will be compatible with a variety of different sample types and will be amenable to re-use with different sample sets.